Govt. should support domestic products: Craftsmen

24/01/2018

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The craftsmen and producers of Afghani carpets say that this industry is dwindling with the import of Turkish carpets in Afghanistan’s markets, and people do not pay much attention to Afghani carpets due to presence of glamorous markets of Turkish and Iranian carpets, and even domestic carpets don’t have market.

Mehraban, a carpet weaver who came from Mazar-e-Sharif to Kabul told The Kabul Times in this connection that in Mazar, carpet has no market that is why I come here to sell my carpets in Kabul, but it can be seen that people cannot buy domestic carpets here too, because the quality of carpets in Afghanistan is high and its value is also exorbitant. Therefore, at present the people are showing interest to carpets that are imported from outside the country such as Turkish and Iranian ones.

The import of Iranian and Turkish carpets to Afghanistan have reduced the price of Afghani carpets and rugs. According to him, if the situation continues and domestic production is not being sold, producers will gradually disappointed and give it up, Mehraban stated.

He called on the government to pay serious attention to the growth of the Afghani carpet industry in Afghanistan in order to prevent dwindling of carpet in the world markets.

Mehraban went on to say that in Kabul, there are only a few shops of Afghani carpets that their markets have no boom, and only in exhibitions which are held in the country are typically exposed the Afghani carpets, which cannot provide a good market for craftsmen, so the government should support the craftsmen and domestic products and try to find market for them.

Another Afghan carpet producer in this regard said that the import of poor quality Iranian carpets, which are sold at a relatively lower price, would bankrupt the economy of Afghan carpet producers.

He says imports of Iranian and foreign carpets are damaging the economy of those families that are engaged in this job, when poor quality carpets are imported, they are sold cheaper and the Afghani carpets price which is slightly high are not sold, due to this reason and the people are losing their jobs.

According to economic experts, in the current situation, Afghanistan is changed to a consuming country and marketplace for trade of foreign products, and the country’s producers are not afford to compete with large foreign producers. It is the government responsibility to establish industrial parks for manufacturers and support them.

Zubaidullah, an owner of carpet company in Kart-e-Mamorin area of Kabul city asserted that Afghanistan is an imported country and 90 percent of Afghanistan’s goods are imported from outside, and Turkish and Iranian carpets have the largest market today in Kabul and a number of big cities in Afghanistan.

“We have a variety of Turkish and Iranian carpets in our carpet company, which come from Iran and Turkey to Afghanistan market, and due to the necessity of our market, we import foreign carpets into the market,” Zubaidullah continued. “We buy a container of carpets, which is include of 7 to 8 thousand meters carpets inside, worth about 80 thousand dollars, and we transfer it to the company, but he says that today, due to the economic problems that caused this business to be dealth with a low level, Zubaidullah further added.

He urged the government to decrease tax on carpet as well as encourage the investors to invest inside their country and prepare a good business environment to them.